


The journey to the new world

by CheshireKitty



Category: Original Work
Genre: Australia, Death, Diary/Journal, Disease, First Fleet, Historical, Implied/Referenced Character Death, One Shot, Sickness, Travel, historical fiction - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-17
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2019-08-24 17:36:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16644734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheshireKitty/pseuds/CheshireKitty
Summary: Lucia is a young girl, a convict, on the first fleet over to the new land, the one they call Australia. In her journal she writes of the pains and terrors of the ship she is placed upon, but also the wonderful things that she finds and people she meets. Unfortunately it is a constant battle to keep sickness and disease at bay, will she even survive to see the new land?





	The journey to the new world

March 3rd 1787  
Dear Journal,  
We finally made it to the city. Mother was in the back of the cart with my two little brothers and myself while father drove, she told us about the city, made the place sound like it was the answer to all our prayers, a beautiful place bountiful with job opportunities. So least to say it was a bit of a shock when we arrived, the city is nothing more than a disease infested stink hole, and I do not know how people breathe in this air let alone live all their lives here. Why did we ever leave our little cottage in the country?   
Lucia McLoughlin

-

March 11th 1787  
Dear Journal,  
I fear mother and father are becoming ill, I blame this horrible air, it sticks in your throat and makes your chest burn with every breath. Work is hard to come by and we are quickly losing the little money we brought with us, father is working whatever jobs he can find and mother is selling what belongings we have left so they may buy food for us. If they were to become sick then we would be severely out of pocket, and possibly out on the street. I have decided that I must find some way to get money or food.  
Lucia McLoughlin

-

March 23rd 1787  
Dear Journal,  
I finally figured it out! I was in the marketplace earlier today begging for food, when I saw some young children loitering around a certain stall. While the stall vendor was busy with a customer the smallest of the children nicked an apple and ran, the next smallest took three potatoes, and a third child managed to grab a whole fish before they were chased away by the vendor. They made it look so easy to get away with, I think I might try myself.  
Lucia McLoughlin

-

March 29th 1787  
Dear Journal,  
I was caught. I tried to take some carrots, just enough to put a little food on the table. But then I saw the apples, they were so red and juicy looking, and I was so hungry, it was foolish and was my downfall. I have been sentenced to seven years transportation, for the theft of six carrots and a dozen apples, fun for me. I have been contained in a “hulk” for the past two days and already I want nothing more than to be on solid land again, the constant swaying is making me sick. I suppose on the bright side I am becoming accustomed to the rocking of the water, at least it will be easier to adjust when we set off for the new land.  
Lucia McLoughlin

-

April 4th 1787  
Dear Journal,  
I fear for my life on this ship. I recon there is about 250 convicts all in all and we are crammed together on decks barely high enough to stand and we sleep in fetters. Our meals consist of ox cheek either boiled or in a stew and bread or biscuit which is almost always moldy anyway, for two days a week our meat is replaced with oatmeal and cheese, and all we have to drink is two pints of beer four days a week and filthy river water. Hygiene standards are so low that sickness is almost unavoidable, very little medical attention is given and I have seen many die already from some sort of epidemic that has broken out on the lower deck. Transportation cannot come fast enough as I fear the old man bedded next to myself is becoming ill.   
Lucia McLoughlin

-

 

April 13th 1787  
Dear Journal,   
It is by some miracle that I have not fallen ill or off the ship. The old man beside me has finally died, thank god, but now I have another man next to me instead. This new man is only recently placed on our ship and he does not speak much, I have asked him many questions such as; what is your name? What did you do to be put here? How old are you? Why do you never talk? But each of my asks it met with stone cold silence, I wonder if he can speak at all. The new man appears to be healthy and only about 14 years old, he has dark ungroomed hair and a haunted look in his blue eyes. I really do wish to know more about him. But in other talk my birthday is only a little over a week away. It will be my first birthday in the city, and what a way to spend it, chained on a rotting ship. I only wish I could see my mother again, even just for a moment, I miss her very much.  
Lucia McLoughlin

-

April 21st 1787  
Dear Journal,  
His name is John! Johnathan Gradly to be exact. It’s taken me a while but he finally spoke to me, turns out he can speak after all, but boy did he have a lot to say, not! All I know about him now is his name and the fact that he is 18 not 14, he is rather small for his age. John’s voice is deep and soft and when he speaks he looks only at the ground, he’s an interesting fellow. He asked my name and age as well, I told him my name was Lucy McLoughlin and that I would be 16 in three days’ time, he seemed to think for a moment then smiled and went back to looking at the floor, I wonder why. It should not be long now until the ships leave for the new land, I wonder if John was sentenced to transportation as well, it would be nice to see a familiar face when I leave everything behind, all that I have ever known.   
Lucia McLoughlin

-

April 24th 1787  
Dear Journal,  
Today is my birthday. John gave me his biscuit and said it was a birthday gift, the best he could give given our current situation, I must remember to ask when his own birthday is so that I may repay the favour. I do not wish to write much today as I would rather let it pass by, maybe I shall see if I can get John to speak some more.  
Lucia McLoughlin

-

May 13th 1787  
Dear Journal,  
I am on the first fleet, I am being transported! I did not expect to feel this… Excited? I thought I would feel more nervous or sad at leaving behind my family, but I have butterflies and am highly anticipating this journey. We were bought on borad in shakels that were then unlocked as we were pushed below deck, there’s hardly any sunlight down here or fresh air. John is on the same ship as I, it is one called “The Charlotte” and it has 20 women including myself, all of whom I saw when boarding. There is a lot of chatter going on among the other convicts, from that I have managed to gather some general information: our Captain’s name is Thomas Gilbert, the ship has six guns, there are around 88 male convicts including John (although I believe there may be more), one of the women may be pregnant which is pure speculation as far as I know, and that the surgeon on board is named John White.   
Lucia McLoughlin

-

June 12th 1787  
Dear Journal,  
I am sea sick, the rocking of the “hulk” has absolutely nothing on true sea travel, I have been so sick I missed our first docking on the 3rd and was unable to write due to constantly emptying my insides, even when there was nothing there to begin with. Although it is possible that sea sickness is not the only thing that has me ill, we have been given nothing more than a bucket of water and a bucket each to do our business in, which would have to be taken above deck to be emptied, and with the poor ventilation disease has run rampant. Rodents have infested the lower deck and will steal whatever food is left unsupervised, which is rather unlucky for those it has happened to as we are only given little flour and salted meat. I have overheard a few men joking about luring out a large rat then catching and roasting it, which due to rats being rather unsanitary and the fact we are on a wooden ship, I would deem that an unwise decision.  
Lucia McLoughlin

-

June 20th 1787  
Dear Journal,  
I have spoken to few of the other women on the ship, being as I am unable to hold up an interesting conversation for very long. So other than my riveting conversations with John, I have talked very little. Although I have met a lovely woman by the name of Mary Bryant, she was the pregnant woman that I heard so much about when we boarded. Mary seems very kind but also tough, she is worried that with conditions on the ship her child may fall ill but she is determined to get the two of them to the new world. I think I am going to like Mary. In less gracious news most men on this ship are less than gentlemanly, women have had to fight off sexual advances left and right. I even had to do so yesterday from a rather unsavory fellow, I promised John half of my rations if he could keep them away, he agreed for only a portion, and thankfully no one has bothered me since.  
Lucia McLoughlin

-

July 5th 1787  
Dear Journal,  
Today we were allowed above deck, and it was incredible. We emerged from below deck to sunlight so bright I had to shield my eyes, but as soon as they adjusted I was simply in awe. All around us as far as the eye could see was brilliant blue ocean that just seemed to sparkle, and the sky was so light and cloudless it was almost like I was in the country again. The air was so fresh and crisp with a tinge of salt, it was amazing to be able to breathe properly I had almost forgotten what fresh air felt like. For a second everything melted away and it was just the wind whipping through my hair, the smell of the ocean, and the tingling feeling of salt on my skin, for a second I was at peace. It was sad going back down but I was now hopeful, John seems happy too, it is the first time I have seen him truly smile. John also told me that I need not worry about the man who had bothered me, whatever that means.  
Lucia McLoughlin

-

July 14th 1787  
Dear Journal,  
Today seemed a lot warmer than usual, I wonder why that was. The weather in general has been getting warmer over the past few days and so below deck is getting a little unbearable what with all the filth down here getting warm it becomes even more sickly, to the point where others are throwing up again due to the smell which of course just adds to the stench, so we are suck in an endless cycle. In other news I heard that a man had fallen overboard the same day we had gone on deck, a man by the name of William Brown John is talking more often, he seemed more hopeful after our trip above deck, I hope he stays this way.  
Lucia McLoughlin

-

July 23rd 1787  
Dear Journal,  
Today is John’s birthday, he’s 19. I gave him a small bit of my rations as a present, it was the first time I had seen him really smile other than the day we were allowed on deck. I drew John a picture in the hopes that it will keep the smile on his face, and I have decided to spend the day with him. Apart from that a young girl no older than 7 ran up to me today, she stared at me for about five minutes before telling me my eyes were pretty and running off again, I asked John if he knew who she was and all he said was that she had been here from the beginning. I have more questions than answers right now.  
Lucia McLoughlin

-

August 1st 1787  
Dear Journal,  
We should be coming into port soon, a place called Rio de Janeiro, it sounds exotic. Sometimes I wish we could get off the boat, just to be able to feel the soft grass on my feet, smell the wet earth after a rainstorm, and run through the dew covered fields in early morning. I miss our old country, but I must stay optimistic for my own sake as well as John’s (who looks as dismayed as I feel) as we would not want a repeat of what happened to Ishmael, poor Ishmael could not cope with his dismay any longer and jumped off the side of the boat on our last outing. On a happier note I found who the young girl belongs to, a lovely woman by the name of Ann Smith, the girl’s name is Grace and Ann explained that she had never seen green eyes up close before. The three of us talked for a long time about what we remember from the old country and what we hope the new world will look like.  
Lucia McLoughlin

-

August 11th 1787  
Dear Journal,  
6 days ago we docked at Rio de Janeiro, we were sent onto the pier and chained there while the lower decks were cleaned and repairs were made. This was our first steps off the ship for quite some time and many were stumbling or wobbly, after getting so used to the swaying of the ship they had forgotten what being on land felt like. It was not long though before we were filed back below deck and unchained again. It had been nice to be off the ship but simply made me miss my home even more. I can hear the people above us now, cleaning, repairing and restocking the ship. I hope we leave soon, the sooner we leave the sooner we get to the new land.  
Lucia McLoughlin

-

August 27th 1787  
Dear Journal,   
We are still in port, I have no ideas as to why this would be, but it is so. The others seem as eager to set off again as I am. The woman have had their clothes taken and burned, but we were given new ones made from rice sacks, they itch a wee bit but at least they are not falling apart. Today I am going to see if I can get John to tell me what he did to get sentenced to transportation, maybe go find Mary and have a talk with her, possibly talk with Ann and Grace as well. In short, today I will talk to people.  
Lucia McLoughlin

-

September 5th 1787  
Dear Journal,  
We are back on route, finally. I found that Mary had two other friends on the ship, Mary Hayder and Catherine Prior, who is also very pregnant. Both Mary Bryant and Catherine looked swollen as melons, Mary Hayden joked that if a pin was put to either they would pop. After talking to the three woman for some time I found that they were partners in the crime that they had all been trialed for, assault and robbery, somehow that does not surprise me. I did however finally find out more about John but I will write that in my next entry as the light is fading now.  
Lucia McLoughlin

-

September 13th 1787  
Dear Journal,  
Mary’s baby has been born! Last night Mary was rushed to the surgeon and early this morning she came back with a baby. I am so excited and so is little Grace, we were told that the baby is a girl and her name is Charlotte after the ship. I was able to get close to little Charlotte and even hold her tiny hand, she is so very small and cute, I just want to scoop her up and take her away from this terrible place, no doubt that Mary is feeling the same way. Everyone seemed happy at the arrival of a new life, I even saw one of John’s rare smiles. On the subject of John I best write what I remember from our conversation many nights ago: the two of us were talking, or more I was talking and John would occasionally say a sentence or two, but we got onto the subject of our lives before our convictions, I asked for the millionth time what he had done and expected the same cold silence (the only thing still cold about him these days) but I was pleasantly surprised when he smiled and began a story. Johnathan had always loved the idea of sailing, that was what he wanted to do when he was old enough was to sail, but he was born into a farming family who lived inland from the coast on the outskirts of the city, sailing was nothing more than an unachievable dream from his parent’s point of view. But John was determined to be a sailor, so he began to build a boat in the river near his cottage, he cut timber from the trees that grew near the river and used whatever plants he could to braid rope, the only thing he did not have was a sail. That was what Johnathan Gradly was convicted of, the theft of 10 yards of fabric, for that he was sentenced to 14 years transportation. John finished his story with a dry laugh “I guess that in some strange way I got my wish.”   
Lucia McLoughlin

-

October 14th 1787  
Dear Journal,  
We docked at port today and Mary had her baby baptized. Catherine’s son was born the day after Mary’s and there was as much excitement over little William as there was over Charlotte. John told me that this was our last port before our arrival at the new land, which explained why they were taking on so many plants, seeds and livestock. But there was rumor that the sea ahead was rough and full of storms, on the bright side we had fresh beef and mutton and bread and vegetables, all of which were absolutely delicious. John and I shared our meals as had become a sort of celebratory custom for us over the course of our travels, John had seemed nervous about something and was averting his eyes from mine, maybe he was worried about the coming travel as I was. I hope that all goes well.  
Lucia McLoughlin

-

October 31st 1787  
Dear Journal,  
Did I ever mention how much I dislike HATE sailing? Because I really hate sailing. It has been non-stop storms since we left the Cape of Good Hope, and the constant pounding rain, wild winds, and mountainous waves have made it hell for those below deck. People are vomiting again and even John says he is beginning to feel sickly. I hope these storms are to be over soon so that we may all return to our former selves, for John has said there is something he would like to tell me when he is in better health. In other news it is all Hallows eve, I hope that no spirits come aboard tonight.  
Lucia McLoughlin

-

November 15th 1787   
Dear Journal,  
The storms have finally died down but something is not right, John is still not feeling well, he is not the only one either, four others as well as myself are still sickly after the rough trip we have had. We are at least feeling better now that the ship is not rocking as much, but the other convicts are giving us wider birth as a precaution. I do hope that this is just an after effect of sea sickness and not something more serious.  
Lucia McLoughlin

-

November 22nd 1787  
Dear Journal,  
Things have gotten worse and I fear for the six of us. John has a very high fever and is complaining of a pounding in his head, the same as three of the others who are ill, a man simply know as George and myself only have moderately high fevers but also have a nasty cough, my nose began bleeding this morning as well, thankfully it has stopped now. I do hope this is not very serious, I dread the thought of something bad happening to my John.  
Lucia McLoughlin

-

November 29th 1787  
Dear Journal,  
I can barely stand and my chest rattles every time I breathe, John and I are talking more often and the six of us, (George Williams, John Clarke, Hannah Willis, William Ardigo, My John and myself) have come to an unspoken conclusion that this is serious and there is a high chance we will not survive, so we talk. John’s favourite colour is green and I have decided that mine is blue, George joked that we should just look into each other’s eyes and see our favourites every day, I think he might be right. Hannah and William have been unable to sleep for the past two days and John C has been hallucinating vigorously. I still refuse to give up hope  
Lucia McLoughlin

-

December 6th 1787  
Dear Journal,   
All of us have severe diarrhea, except George who has constipation. The two Johns and William have been clutching their stomachs all day and Hannah and I have rose coloured spots over our abdomens and chests. We have all been diagnosed with Typhoid fever and George now has pneumonia. Hannah has been rocking back and forth for the past hour muttering something about the shadows and will scream if someone touches her, I fear the fever has driven her mad. William has begun to blead severely from the nose and is fainting quite a lot, and John C is becoming rather drowsy and confused.  
Lucia

-

December 13th 1787  
Dear Journal,  
John Clarke is dead, he fell to the floor and began shaking and jerking before becoming entirely still, he was then pronounced dead. I would not be surprised for all of us to meet the same fate, Hannah is mad as they come now, George is to the point of coughing up blood, William looks as though he has one foot in the grave, and poor John is exhausted beyond belief and always thirsty. I myself just feel awfully tired and my head feels as though it has rocks in it. We must be a sorry sight the five of us, living corpses.  
Lucia 

-

December 21st 1787  
Dear Jouranal,  
Hannah has jumped overboard and William soon followed, the last thing he said was that he was going to die on his own terms. There is only the three of us left ill, the other convicts refuse to go near us and I really don’t blame them, we look like living hell. George has stopped his constant coughing at least, the doctor has been giving us something I know not what but it eases the pain. John has finally been able to get some rest, he looks so very peaceful when he is asleep, and his fever is going down along with my own. We may make it out of this yet.  
Lucia McLoughlin

-

December 30th 1787  
Dear Journal,  
John spoke again, he looked me in the eye and said word for word “Lucia McLoughlin promise me that you will stay by my side until the day I die because I could not fathom a world in which I exist without you next to me.” I began to tear up, he then looked down and said in quieter voice, “And promise me that if we ever make it off this damned ship alive that you would become my dearest Lucia Gradly?” He posed the last part as a question. I stared at him in awe and could not stop the tears from flowing as I was frozen in place, which was of course when George decided to butt in and shouted a very loud “just say yes!” It was enough to snap me out of my daze and I began repeating the word yes over and over again. The biggest grin I had ever seen was plastered on John’s face and there was quite possibly a matching one on mine. I have something to hope for now.  
Lucia McLoughlin/Gradly

-

January 9th 1788  
Dear Journal,  
I have been unable to stop crying since yesterday, yesterday when my dearest John was taken from me. It was so unexpected that the doctor has no true explanation as of yet, he was getting better, we both were. George and I are almost at full health now, but all I want to do is die. What more can this world take away from me? It took my family, my life and now my John. I do not know how I can carry on when my heart has been shattered. I sob until I am sick and then I sob again, I cannot stop as it feels like a part of me has been ripped out and replaced with nothingness. George has tried to console me to no avail, his words seem meaningless and empty. I have entertained the thought of jumping from the ship as has been done before, if it means that I am able to see him again.  
Lucia McLoughlin

-

January 20th 1788  
Dear Journal,  
We have arrived at Botany Bay. George and I are back to full health and are able to mingle with the other convicts again. We are awaiting the hatch to be opened so that we may leave and set foot into this “New World.” Many are excited and some are nervous, I myself am only just coming to terms with what has happened over the past year, year? It seems so long ago now. I made friends and lost them, saw new life emerge and death ensnare, I felt love and loss, and now I am about to step foot onto a different world, onto Australia. This world is a new beginning for all of us.  
Lucia McLoughlin

**Author's Note:**

> So I wrote this for a History assignment but decided I liked it too much to be just kept in a book on my shelf. The two main characters in this story are purely fictional but the facts and events are true.


End file.
